There’s a real irony here: given that the rise of streaming services like Netflix (once an online DVD-rental service) are a major factor in the decline of home entertainment rental stores, is it fitting or unfortunate that Netflix’s latest comedy series is set inside the final branch of Blockbuster? Either way, it looks like a hoot – a new workplace comedy in a setting that film buffs will love, with the uber-charismatic Randall Park and Melissa Fumero leading the way. Watch the trailer here:
This seems like it could be really fun – there’s tons of Blockbuster nostalgia to go around, and the stories around the real-life final branch of Blockbuster (in Bend, Oregon and the subject of documentary The Last Blockbuster) was a real attention-grabber. Plus, a video shop (as they should always be known) is a really fun location for this kind of sitcom – especially since creator Vanessa Ramos is an alumnus from the likes of Superstore and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. For years, Netflix has been chasing its own version of The Office – so much so that it commissioned Space Force from Greg Daniels and Steve Carell (to mixed reviews and a cancellation post-Season 2). Maybe Blockbuster could finally give Netflix its own hit workplace sitcom at last.
We’ll find out for sure when the show – also starring JB Smoove, In The Heights’ Olga Merediz and To All The Boys’ Madeleine Arthur – starts streaming on 3 November. And hey, if it kicks off even more Blockbuster nostalgia and results in the return of actual video shops, even better.